This is a widely held belief for numerous people that co-parenting a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such setups impede ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause our furry friends to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. For a masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on this conflict is sustainable is rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – as seen in fake snow clinging to lush pines as North Carolina substitutes for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience rests upon the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who seek out for pet content. It provides a series of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward demanded of the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in looking despondent – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since Merv is easily the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
